title: Quality control methods at a hospital.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Healthcare providers need the information contained in patient records to provide high-quality services. To be effective, patient record assembly must be completed in a timely manner. This study aims to analyse the medical records assembly process for a hospital in Southeastern United States having difficulty meeting standard completion times established by the Joint Commission on the Accreditation of Healthcare Organization.
  
  
  METHODS
  Several quality improvement tools were used to evaluate and improve the assembly process.
  
  
  RESULTS
  As a result of the study, a new procedure was implemented. Consequently, the hospital reduced the time required to assemble medical records, thereby improving efficiency and effectiveness. There are hopes to further improve the process.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The study provides guidance on how statistical process control techniques can be applied to improve hospital services. The techniques employed can be used to analyze and improve any process. However, results are limited to improving medical record assembly processes at one particular hospital.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Past studies considered the application of various statistical process control techniques for improving healthcare quality. The study extends research by employing process improvement efforts to understand and develop medical record assembly in a regional hospital via process flow diagramming and control charts.
authors.affiliation: Cameron School of Business, University of North Carolina, Wilmington, North Carolina, USA. canelc@uncw.edu
authors.forename: Cem
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Canel
authors.forename: Steve
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mahar
authors.forename: Drew
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Rosen
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Taylor
mesh_terms: D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D017598:Efficiency, Organizational; D005568:Forms and Records Control / Q000592:standards*; D006761:Hospitals; D006801:Humans; D007591:Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations; D008499:Medical Records / Q000592:standards*; D008500:Medical Records Department, Hospital / Q000592:standards*; D019982:Organizational Case Studies; D009936:Organizational Innovation; D011786:Quality Control; D058996:Quality Improvement; D015144:Southeastern United States; D014481:United States